The Knoll Gardens Foundation (Reg Charity 1159390), is dedicated to achieving a better understanding of the balance between Knolls naturalistic ethos and the gardens wildlife.
Our gardens often provide glimpses into the lives of the various animals who visit or call the garden home. The quiet, naturalistic environment with its wide variety of plants, low maintenance planting and different habitats enable volunteers, visitors, garden and nursery staff – who may be present at different times of day- to have the unexpected privilege of seeing an animal feeding, making a nest or resting. These observations help us to get to know the time of day or night, plants and areas of the garden or nursery where the animals are likely to be seen e.g. the green-eyed bees nesting on the sandy beds in the nursery, the habitat log in the Decennium Garden that may support larvae such as stag beetles or the upper pond area where water voles and cave spiders have been seen.
Occasionally we capture an image of the animals we see – which is not always easy – the water voles, little owl, kingfisher, nightjar and a weasel have been spotted but still remain elusive! This informal collection highlights the diversity of creatures we’ve seen – from the parasitic wasps, the amphibians and reptiles and unusual spiders to the graceful deer – who all appear to benefit from Knolls naturalistic ethos.
We hope you like looking at some of the animals we have managed to record and maybe we have inspired you to look out for the wildlife that inhabits your local patch or garden and take a few pictures of your own if they stay still long enough!
With thanks to our staff, volunteers and visitors for contributing their images to this gallery.
